As much as I hate the iPod hype, it’s impossible to spend any time with an iPod and not come to the conclusion that it’s a fantastic bit of design, particularly if you don’t think about the unimpressive battery life. I wasn’t too keen on the iPod Mini, though; it looks a bit Toytown in photographs:

Now that I’ve had the chance to spend a lot of time playing with the Mini, I’ve changed my mind. It’s arguably even better designed than its older sibling, not least because its tiny size makes it genuinely portable whereas the “real” iPod is still on the bulky side. For all Apple’s flaws, when it gets things right it gets them very right.